Air India: Joint declaration by Union’s, demand urgent redressal of Employee issues
In a Joint declaration by major Unions of Air India, the Unions have demanded urgent redressal of employee related issues. Joint declaration signed by Indian Commercial Pilots Association- Capt Praveen Keerthi, Indian Pilots Guild- Capt Vijayanand Bagve, All India Cabin Crew Association- Sanjay Lazar, Air India Employess Union- Parag Ajgaonkar, the Unions have demanded immediate redressal to pending Employee issues. In a letter dated 13/10/21 addressed to Secretary- Civil Aviation Ministry. the Unions requested mentioning the following
In this regard, we refer to the meetings held between your good self, our
then CMD, and all the Al Unions on 01/09/2021.
We had raised specific issues that needed urgent redressal since we have
deep concern over many employee-related issues, which are –
1. Leave Encashment Option- All Unions have been promised
their leave encashment from the time meetings held by the then
Hon Minister of Civil Aviation and then-Secretary MOCA since
Jan 2020 until the most recent meeting with CMD-Al on
01/09/2021. As unions, we demand that the option to encash or
carry forward immediately our PL/SL be clarified before the
handover. Those who opt to encash it now may commence with
new leave accounts, and those who have opted to carry forward
may be credited with that leave balance.
Air India Colonies – We had requested you to allow employees
to continue living in the colonies until their superannuation or
—-
and would continue with the government. The ministries letters
after that have been very harsh in principle, demanding that all
employees sign undertakings in 15 days or pay 15 lakhs
penalties. We urge you to interccdc on behalf of the Air Indians
who reside in these colonies to allow them to reside in them for
a reasonable period of at least a year. Since the new buyer is
providing employees with a one-year employment guarantee
the colony facility should at least be co-terminus with that date.
if not until VRS is provided.
3.
Medical benefits – We are concerned since we have no clarity
on the medical benefits for the serving and the retired/ retiring
employees. We, as Unions, are yet to receive a final response as
to which of the two options has been finalized. We are also
concerned about OPD. Hospitalization, and disbursal of
Medicines, etc. for serving and retired employees.
Post-retirement benefits – We have constantly demanded that
all permanent employees be given the right to post-retirement
benefits of Medical & Passage. We raised the same with the then
Hon Minister at the all-union meeting hosted by the Hon
Minister on 20/01/2020, also attended by the previous
Secretary Civil Aviation & CMD-Air India and other executives,
At our meeting of 01/09/2021, we drew your attention to the
last joint meeting of all unions. It is estimated that some 2400
permanent employees are being left out of the retirement
scheme for want of completion of the 20 years clause. All
permanent employees should be entitled to these benefits.
5.
Restoration of pre-Covid Allowances / Emoluments – The
allowances of all employees had been cut during the first wave
of Covid last year. Now that the flying is fast reaching
normalization and passenger traffic getting back to pre-Covid
levels, we must return to our pre-Covid emoluments.
b.
Payment of all Arrears – This issue has been hanging fire for
years now, and unions have demanded all their arrears to be
settled before handover. For the erst. IA Pilots, the arrears go
back to their 1997 Agreement, and for the erst. Al Pilots/Cabin
Crew includes pending flying allowance arrears/ emoluments of
2006/2007 agreements and arrears arising out of the unilateral
25% Pay cut made an account of JDC from 2012. The arrears
must be paid in full with interest prior to handover, and a statement of arrears promised should be furnished immediately.
It has to be seen how Tata’s , Civil Aviation Ministry responds to these demands. The new management has agreed to retain all staff for one year, before they bring out synergy and structural balance.
